To the poets George Abou Antoun, Elias Khalil, and Antoine Saade
O Guardians of Poetry,
O Symbol of Pride
You have transcended
The boundaries of belonging
A parliament opens today... Rejoice
My words, to embrace the poets
If you have gathered... this is your day
O guests of glory, O hand of generosity
You have struck the drum of verse
And sung... Ah, how sweet is the song
Before you came to us... our tears
Told The world is inhabited,
Yet we are wretched.
Pains engulf a good people,
Laughing despite tragedies and calamities.
No... "Sydney" taught us to be aware
How to wipe the tears
From our eyes.
My Lord's cedar,
When you trampled our abandonment,
He said, "I have sent light to the abandonment."
You are the noble ones, O voice of the horizon,
You came to the world,
And the noble ones came with you.
You, "Antoun," are addressing my nation,
O "Saade," you have increased
The purity of poetry.
My nation lives a difficult life,
I do not know how happiness will come to it.
No, and faithful. His friend chooses him
You are "Elias Khalil" of the loyal
Long live "George" the chosen captain
No, by my Lord,
You are the sheikh of presidents
Return to poetry the days gone by
Most poetry is the work of foolishness
They consider poetry trivial talk
Chatter that has bewildered the wise
You have been generous...
So blessed is the splendour
For "Bahia" is her name,
The twin of splendour
If you return to our land, tell her:
She is blood that flows in the veins
**
